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An Apostrophe, Good Sir

C

cbrunny

Diamond Member
Why is it that American's think that the possessive of "it" is "its" and not the obviously correct "it's"

You wouldn't say "The Dogs bone"

You would say "The Dog's bone"


You shouldn't say "The bird flaps its wings"

You should say "The bird flaps it's wings"

Pronouns take the place of nouns and are therefore subject to the same rules as actual nouns. Stop breaking English America.
 
Language is used to convey a meaning. With or without the apostrophe, the meaning is still clear.
Do americans own think in your sentence?
 
cbrunny said:
Why is it that American's think that the possessive of "it" is "its" and not the obviously correct "it's"

You wouldn't say "The Dogs bone"

You would say "The Dog's bone"


You shouldn't say "The bird flaps its wings"

You should say "The bird flaps it's wings"

Pronouns take the place of nouns and are therefore subject to the same rules as actual nouns. Stop breaking English America.
Click to expand...

Lets see if you can figure out why this one distinction pertains in the English language the entire world over, not just America.

Here's your hint: It's not rocket science.
 
Yeah, but contractions exist in all regular nouns too.

Carl's going to the store.

He's going to the store.

It's going to the store.


I had been taught that "it's" is correct possessive use of "it" and "it's" is the contracted "it is" or "it has"
 
It isn't just Americans. It is also Canadians, Brits, and anyone else who knows how to write properly. It doesn't have to make sense. Many grammar rules don't, but if you are possessing its with it's you will look uneducated and unread to people like me who know better.
So tough shit, it is a rule of grammar and that is that.
 
cbrunny said:
Yeah, but contractions exist in all regular nouns too.

Carl's going to the store.

He's going to the store.

It's going to the store.


I had been taught that "it's" is correct possessive use of "it" and "it's" is the contracted "it is" or "it has"
Click to expand...
Who taught you this? Certainly no decent English teacher. It isn't optional; it is simpy wrong.
 
cbrunny said:
I had been taught that "it's" is correct possessive use of "it" and "it's" is the contracted "it is" or "it has"
Click to expand...
You were taught incorrectly.

The word "it's" means "it is"
The word "its" means that "it" owns something.

We don't combine the word "is" with most nouns, so most of the time we don't need that distinction. For example, we don't say "CBrunny's tall". Instead we say "CBrunny is tall". But when it comes to the word "it", we do make contractions with that word. So we now have to clarify between "it is" and "it owns". The convention is that "it's" means "it is".

cbrunny said:
Carl's going to the store.
Click to expand...
No, that is just flat out wrong. Your mind must be blurring "Carl is" into one word. The only correct way of writing it is "Carl is going to the store".
 
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in German the genitive for masculine nouns is written by just adding an s at the end, without apostrophe.

Americans who make this mistake are closet kraut eaters I'm telling you.
 
Blanky said:
It isn't just Americans. It is also Canadians, Brits, and anyone else who knows how to write properly. It doesn't have to make sense. Many grammar rules don't, but if you are possessing its with it's you will look uneducated and unread to people like me who know better.
So tough shit, it is a rule of grammar and that is that.
Click to expand...

thi's
 
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